Aleida: A Sleeping Beauty Retelling
by singinstrawberri
Summary: Aleida is the true daughter the king & queen. Not knowing the future meant for her is given to someone else, Aleida struggles to find hope and beauty in the world. Her tale is interwoven with the point of views of her mother, and the "witch".
1. The Curse

A wail was released into the room, causing all that were in there to sigh with relief. It was humid and tense before, but now the air seemed to cool. A damp hand went onto Ella's shoulder to steady her. The midwife smiled as she wrapped a cotton blanket around the newborn babe. Ella loosened noticeably, slowly reviving from the labor, her forehead damp.

Everyone stared at the baby, Ella's baby, her first baby, the long-awaited heir. "It's a girl, Eleanor. She's perfect. Nothing went wrong."

The few maids and Ella's mother, Aleida, laughed softly in relief. Ella was momentarily too weak to utter a sound.

"What shall the name be, sweet?" asked the new grandmother. A new life, a life full of chances to mold the world was in this tiny body. Ella's mother was full of pride, eager to watch Ella raise her own child.

Ella hesitated, thinking as though searching far away. "Aleida!"

"Aleida? After your mother?" A maid spoke up. Ella smiled and the midwife soothed and cleansed the baby.

"Princess Aleida Eleanor of Bamarre," murmured the namesake. Another Aleida! _Will you be anything like me? _mused Ella's mother.

"Yes, the destined princess, daughter of King Charles and Queen Eleanor," the midwife shouted.

_My daughter, you'll be a princess, my new love. I have someone to depend on me, to take care of, _Ella mused, _I already love my daughter...Aleida....my first and only child, I swear to take care of you._

"Call the king in so he may -" the grandmother stopped short. Heads turned to a corner in the still warm, spacious room.

In the corner was a woman, gazing with tight, thin lips drawn into a line, at Ella, then to Aleida. Her gown was long and midnight, with gold embroidery sewn into intricate designs. Pale, a slender hand set down a hood from her cloak. **In her other arm, she held a small bundle, wrapped in white linen. **It appeared that the woman wasn't old in appearance, but something in her face told that she knew more than most. It was not a wrinkled, dark face, but the face of a middle aged lady. Or a fairy.

"Selene! I -" started Ella.

"Every fairy in this room is ignorant," cut in Selene smoothly. "They are ignorant to the reach of their power, for they dare not use it." The pale fairy stared at every pair of eyes in the room. Ella's mother fought tears from her eyes. "The world could be a better place if fairies thought deeper and helped _Earth,_ not _humans_."

Aleida, the grandmother, and the rest of the maids, indeed also fairies, then glared at this odd fairy. "We do not use our powers to their extent for a reason."

The dark fairy stepped forward. "It does not matter. I did not come here to argue." Selene's voice faltered. This baby, this baby that might have never existed. Selene glanced back at the past and then swept it away again.

A step forward. "I come to give a gift to your daughter."

The words did not register in Ella's mind.

"Selene, I'm sorry about what happened before, but I...." Ella did not find the words to finish.

"Selene! What are you thinking? Be reasonable, this is the heir of Bamarre!" Aleida, always the protective mother, shouted. The words echoed and Ella flinched.

Selene paid no attention. "Eleanor...Why was it you that is the lucky one?" Her voice tensed, and her eyes frightening. Selene was different now; she did not resist to her darker powers, but gave herself willingly into it. She was transfixed. She had time - and possibly the power - to focus on how to make the world how she saw fit. Selene's vision swirled in her eyes. She fought her weaknesses. _Perhaps I should turn back now_. Selene hesitated. The thought of revenge....She thought of what Ella had done to her, to her beloved ones....

Ella regained her senses enough to guard her new child. "Selene, what is this about? What have I done?" Her heart pounded in her ears.

Whispers started in the room, hurried, screeching, hushing, moaning words that were not understood by Ella. It started. A rush of mental and physical pain shot through Ella. _There must be a way...Selene, please do not harm my child...she is innocent, punish me...._Agony and fear coursed through Ella. Her throat ached, her eyes stung, her heartbeat raced, her mind screamed at her. _It's all my fault...but why now Selene? It was so long ago...._

"Your daughter will suffer." Selene's voice was surprisingly soft. Her heart pounded as fast as Ella's did – the black, sullen heart.

Ella felt as though she had ruined everything for her daughter already. "Fairies! Someone stop her! Please, do something!"

"Aleida, this innocent child will pay the price, for her dear mother is in debt. Aleida will pay her mother's fee," the mad fairy spat out. As if anyone could stop her! She hardly saw Ella in front of her. "The newborn child of Eleanor will never be heir of the Bamarrian throne. She will not be known as the princess of this country, not as the first child of the royal couple!"

"NO! I apologize! She has done nothing to you!" Ella shrieked. The baby's wails that were soft before, grew loud and Ella wept. The midwife tried to shush the baby.

"Not only that, but the child will not _speak_. She will not utter a word. Her future, her destiny, her perfect life has already been destroyed as she is no longer a princess. She is a commoner, and a peasant with no voice! She is now nothing, just like I had been!" Selene stumbled, almost fainting. The would not have the beautiful voice that Ella wished so much for her baby to have.

"_She is cursed! She will not live long under my curse!_ How can a child be happy when she is nothing, and cannot even speak? When she knows someone else has taken her throne, and that she is in poverty when someone else is laughing at her jewels that should've been hers?" Selene ached slightly inside. Ella had no idea what Selene's real purpose was. Selene truly did not care whether the child was a princess at all.

Ella wept openly, as the other fairies in the candlelit room now did. "Selene! Undo it, please do not curse her! Take it away!" Selene herself looked frightened, but continued.

"The child will die before she reaches adulthood." Her eyes watered at the words, yet again hesitating. Yes, she had done enough. Before her conscience could settle, she glared one last time at Ella.

**Selene murmured, "This child that I hold in my arms will be known as the princess as Bamarre. She is someone else's child. She is from the orphanage. You will raise her as if she were Aleida. But this child...." Selene at last lifted the layers of the white bundle in her arms to reveal another sleeping baby, "Her name is Aurora, and she will be a far better queen that Aleida would've been." She left the baby onto the bed and vanished.**

* * *

A few hours later, Ella had at last stopped crying, and so had the other fairies. Before dawn came, they formed an idea.

"Can't we tell Charles?"

"No! We cannot, ever! He mustn't know a fairy has cursed his true daughter! He'll tell the whole kingdom, and then what will Selene do? It is impossible."

"And what will happen to Aleida, my baby?" Ella winced.

Silence followed. Then Ella's mother said, "Let me take care of her. I will raise her away from the palace...Perhaps Selene will not find her."

Ella nodded slowly. "What else...can I do? I can do nothing! My child, I did this to her!"

"Hush! No, you haven't. M'am, are you sure of this?" Another fairy spoke.

"Yes, I can and will do it. The child should at least live. Perhaps life would be safer for her this way anyways. I can protect her. The child may not live long, but -" The grandmother was interrupted.

"Mother! We can alter the spell!"

"Oh? How so?"

More fairies spoke up, gathering around the sleeping baby. "Yes, we can! If we all just combine a little of our power, we can at least tweak the spell."

A cold breeze wafted into the room. Ella rubbed her raw, red eyes. Her baby awoke with a gurgle. Aurora slept in a little crib, away from the others in the room.

"Sleep," murmured Ella.

"What?" Aleida stared at her, wondering if Ella was still sane.

"Of course! A long, long sleep!" A fairy shouted.

"Perhaps she could sleep for many years, it could be just as well as death." Mary, one of the fairies smiled.

"But then! Everyone she loves in the world, everything will be gone, be changed."

"Then it's perfect. It will, in our view of seeing the situation, be like death. But why should she not die at all?"

They fell silent again.

"I am willing to risk it," Ella whispered. Slowly, she lifted her eyes to the others. "I wish for her to have a chance to lead a fair life. If only...you could let her wake up from her sleep when her hero kisses her, if she has not awaken after a hundred years of sleep. That is all I ask. Any one who can find her, rescue her. I don't know how but..." Her voice shook and faded. She was so exhausted! How sweet would it be to sleep and forget everything.

"Ohh...perhaps we could do that. A hundred years, or less if she is waken by a kiss."

Ella's mother concentrated on the horizon for several minutes before answering. "Sometimes, there are exceptions to the rules. This may be insane, but I think this could be for the best. We can risk it. They are minor alterations. But...should we?"

Ella smoothed the few, fine hairs on her daughter's head. She looked thoughtfully in her daughter's eyes, caressed its soft, warm skin, hushed her gurgles and peeps. Ella thought of the life that could lay before her baby.

"Yes. Let it be done. Will you do it for me? For Aleida?" Ella spoke in a rush, exhilarated.

The fairies closed their eyes and sighed, "Yes."

"I'll do the blessing, and everyone shall close it in the end in agreement. Let the magic flow through you." Aleida, ever the protective mother of Ella, closed her eyes.

"Let Aleida, first child of Eleanor and Charles, be slightly freed from the curse. She will not inherit the crown of Bamarre, let that part of Selene's curse still be. Let her live her childhood with I, her grandmother. When it is time for her to die, let her instead fall into a deep sleep instead of dying. She shall sleep for a hundred years. If she is kissed by a hero before the hundred years are over, let her awaken as she was before her sleep."

"_And so be it,_", each fairy chorused. They felt the magic flood themselves and let it flow to the baby, who cooed and gurgled. Ella began weeping again and stroked the babe's soft, tiny fingers.

"And...so it is!" Ella's mother smiled. "Ella, your child is saved."

Ella laid the baby onto the bed and knelt down. "Thank you, thank you a thousand and one times. I am forever grateful to you all, and I owe you my life. Thank you...I -" She collapsed, despite her struggle.

Her mother shook her head. "I had to...It is still my responsibility to take care of you." Her body seemed to sigh as she reflected...

The sun rose on the horizon, its rays gracing the baby Aleida's face. And suddenly Ella had hope.

A/N: YAY! YOU MADE IT! I have the rest of the storyline figured out, so updates shouldn't take TOO long. Please leave a review, and point out all the faults you can find! I want to make sure I write a good story, so please tell me what you like and what can be improved. Is it realistic enough? Thanks...!


	2. The Angel

The midnight-haired girl smiled and fit her small violin snugly under her chin. She looked as though the violin fit her chin just right, as though as the violin made her body complete, finished, natural. Soft, pale fingers placed the bow flat onto the strings and the instructor listened. The girl's teacher was gray-haired and usually rigid. But she thoroughly enjoyed teaching this girl whose smile was as charming as her music. This child had enough energy in her to make the leap over lakes!

Miss Cabot listened for the discreet errors that Aleida also noticed. Aleida played naturally with confidence and did not have trouble making the best of her abilities in playing. _She is born to play the violin! She is wonderful..._the teacher mused. Aleida shifted and moved as her arms urged her, deeply concentrating on harmonizing the movements. She was playing of her new favorite tunes, and was very serious on playing it perfect. Too serious for her age.

Aleida skipped a note and paused in fright - how could she! The violin's melody shattered in the air. Miss Cabot frowned - Aleida had been playing this piece for weeks on end. She knew she could not push this child too hard, as she has only eight, so she simply patted her arm for reassurance. A tear formed in the back of Aleida's eye.

"Don't push yourself too hard. You're improving -" Miss Cabot paused, "Ohh! Come with me, I know what will help...." Miss Cabot's face lit up with inspiration. Aleida, downcast and ashamed, put away her violin and carried the case out of the room.

Aleida and Miss Cabot half-ran down the stairs from the music room, tumbling into the palace's grand concert hall. "We...we're going to listen to this song, but in a different way...I mean -" She cut herself short yet again. Aleida's hair fell loose as Miss Cabot grabbed her and they made their way through a small audience in the bright room. Aleida hugged her violin case and looked around.

Aleida sensed excitement. She as well brightened as she saw the vast, stylishly furnished room with a stage decorated with wreaths. Miss Cabot pushed her forward until Aleida could see a girl around her age in the center of the stage. Aleida hardly noticed the chattering around her from the hushed audience.

The girl on the stage was dressed far more exquisitely than Aleida ever had. Aleida imagined her to be a fairy princess, like the ones she had made up in stories, but come to life. Aleida stood in awe - how delightful was this surprise! This princess's hair were golden waves, her skin glowed, her lips painted red, her dress starch white. But the real magic seemed to come when life flowed from her lips.

The angelic little princess silenced the room with a clear, vibrant voice. A voice so sweet, pure, young. It was smooth like honey and slid into Aleida's heart. Aleida felt it vibrant within her chest. For a second, Aleida could not breathe. Here was her song that she attempted on her violin, but no - it was really the princess's! What she could not do with the perfect, floating melody the princess could. The song soared and Aleida was lifted where her violin hadn't ever taken her. _Oh, how beautiful! _Aleida wished to shout. Miss Cabot held onto her arm before Aleida could start dancing, rising, spinning.

But Aleida's heart ached. For she couldn't ever utter a sound with her voice. How could she ever make music beautiful as this fairy-princess? Instead of becoming sad, Aleida was elated! _But of course_, she swore powerfully to herself, she would match the beauty of the princess's song with her violin. Aleida's face burst into a smile as the song faded on the princess's trembling lips. Aleida was not one to fall down.

She rushed onto the stage as the audience roared with applause. Aleida let her violin case fall to the ground as her hands signed words to the princess. "Your music is beautiful," she told in the language of the hands. The princess frowned.

"Why are you on the stage?" Her voice was again a mere child's. The princess did not understand Aleida's hands' language, although most she knew did. _No, no, but this fairy is perfect. Why is it that she is so wonderful, she does not know my silly language? Are those without a voice unworthy of being understood?_

Miss Cabot ran up to the stage, flushed with embarrassment. "Oh, your highness, she cannot speak with her mouth, but she has a language with her hands. Ah, she said - she said that your voice is very beautiful!" Shaken, Aleida backed into the comfort of Miss Cabot's arms. _Surely, if she is a fairy, she would be called something so much more lovely! _Thought Aleida.

The princess stared. "I don't understand! Mother, what does she -" the golden haired girl turned to face the queen. Aleida hardly noticed that the queen looked quite familiar. "Aurora, I'll tell you later. Come! Your audience awaits you!" She pushed Aurora away. Aleida stared at Aurora as Aurora peered confused at her.

The moment was broken as Miss Cabot led her away carefully. "Aleida, that was the princess of Bamarre! She does not understand sign language. Perhaps someone will teach her!" Miss Cabot chuckled, handling Aleida her violin case.

Aleida glanced again at Aurora. _What a pretty name! I wish I had that name. But oh, I will play as well as she sings! I hope.... Aleida_ smiled to herself, ever full of hope. She bounced away until she found her grandmother in the crowd.

"I hope you don't mind, I wanted Aleida to see the concert after her violin lesson," gushed Miss Cabot to Aleida's grandmother. Her grandmother just said thank you and dropped the lesson's fee into her Miss Cabot's hand. Aleida went to hug her grandmother, full of spunk.

* * *

Just a couple feet away, the queen Eleanor glanced demurely at the dark-haired child as she led Aurora through the crowd. Her chest squeezed together as worry overtook her. _So they meet...but should I let them? Why not...perhaps...they are meant to know who they really are.... Ella_ forced the frightening pain away and set her eyes on Aurora. _Sometimes I wish you were Aleida. Selene, are you satisfied yet?_

_

* * *

_

The next week, Miss Cabot led Princess Aurora to Aleida in the music room.

"Thank you," signed Aurora in the few "words" she had learned.

Aleida let out a sort of laugh and embraced Aurora, who was not accustomed to this affection.

This was a beginning.

A/N: Did you like it?! And yes, this story is the category action/adventure for later reasons you can't have a fairy tale without a journey! Nor romance! Please criticize!!! :) I write to make you happppyyy!!!


	3. Prideful Ella

_AN: IMPORTANT: read the bolded section of the FIRST chapter. I edited that because it's important to know where Ella got Aurora from, to answer **stubble96**'s question. I also edited it all over the place, but nothing that changes the story. To **miss paratess, **they don't both play the violin, I'm sorry if I made it sound that way : ( and you're right, it was hard to figure out whose name is who because 1) once I added a random name by accident, and 2) because Ella's mother and Ella's real baby have the same name: Aleida. Thanks a bunch for reviewing to everyone, it made me feel good : ) Eh, I feel that something's missing from this chapter, but please enjoy._

Ella felt as though she had grown little compared to her two daughters. Once in a while she pondered where she would be if she had not loved the prince, now king. Behind those thoughts, although she didn't acknowledge them, she thought it might be better if she had not married him at all. Then someone else could be happy, and no one would be cursed.

Life slowed down once in a while, but then it flickered away so fast Ella barely had time to ponder anymore. She had a child, Aurora, to nourish into a queen, and a secret daughter whom she also loved. Aleida, a daughter she was still responsible for, a burden which she both liked and was dragged down by. Ella accepted everything given to her like a queen should - the crown, the stressed but loving king, the mothering of two, the secrets tucked away. What wore her away the most, although she would never admit it, was the fact that she did not know when Selene would strike Aleida. She smiled away her secrets with her husband and merely handled everything on her own.

Eight years had passed, and the excitement of two daughters who knew not of the other, was always felt. Now, after they had met, Ella thought of their future together. How they would affect each other and intertwine. How they might have never each other if it weren't for Selene. Ella took some time to try to see anything could come out of their friendship, but instead she saw possibilities, wonderful ones. She felt they were connected. Ella didn't want to work with fate, if it was so.

At times Ella ached for Aleida. Although Ella came often as she could to the cottage her mother and Aleida lived in, she felt that she could not reach into Aleida's childhood quite enough. She always dreamt of the days she spent with Aleida, but she told herself this was only because she saw her less often than Aurora. It would not be just to love Aleida more! The few hours Ella spent outside or inside with Aleida felt natural and made her feel free. Days would come when Ella could hardly stay with Aurora. When Aurora first waddled around the royal carpet, Ella wondered if possibly, Aleida was doing the exact same. When Aurora uttered her first word, Ella almost forgot that Aleida could not speak. That time, she wondered when Aleida would realize that her voice was gone. At times like these, Ella hated Selene. How incomplete Aleida was - without a real family, without a voice, without solid words, never knowing her past, never quite safe.

During the Aurora's little concert, Ella stared at Aleida as Aurora sang. In her youth, Ella had been just like Aurora, gifted in singing. Ella could not go more than a few hours without singing, and it helped that her voice was envied and filled with unmistakable beauty. Before Aleida was born, Ella imagined singing with her daughter, who could grow up to love singing, too. Ella's wish had come true, yet it wasn't the way she wanted it to be. Was it just a coincident that Aleida lacked the superb voice Aurora had? Ella flared up when she thought that. Although she was immensely delighted with Aurora, she felt guilty.

Ella was indeed prideful, among her better traits of gentleness and optimism. She was caring, and loved life, but she waned when life took her to face what she despised. What she despised was what she could not control, and Ella wished for just a little more control.

During the concert, Ella had began crying without realizing it. Some thought it was because Aurora's singing was so _perfectly _enchanting - a mother full of joy and wonder for Aurora, her "_daughter_" - but of course! But Ella's mother saw her brush away her tears in the crowd. Ella's mother felt herself tense, wishing she could reach out and steady her. Ella didn't know it, but she was rarely completely steady or comforted anymore.

Some days Ella couldn't stop thinking, thinking, thinking, away into space. Thinking of what Aleida was doing, how she was like compared to Aurora, how and how much she loved them. She would chide herself then, but she still felt pride for her daughters at different times. Ella loved watching as Aurora ran into life's awaiting hands, discovering the bright world set before her. She embraced Aurora as she learned more about this little soul.

But Aleida! How different yet alike the two daughters were. One was royal, the other a peasant in the forest with Ella's mother. Aleida, so full of life, so full of enjoyment in everything she touched. Aurora, who had picky tastes and liked the world how she saw fit, but still full of life. Sometimes Ella briefly mixed them up while talking to the king, who sometimes wondered who in the world Ella was talking so delightfully about.

How would the two children collide? Ella's eyes would widen and her curiosity would burn a hole in her chest. Yes, she wanted to see them grow and love each other as she loved them both. She painted pictures in her mind of them playing and arguing and weeping. Aleida's gentleness would make up for Aurora's boldness. Aurora's insistent words would help Aleida when she realized how frighteningly unsure the world was.

_I wish to see her now, I want to hear her voice now...beautiful Aleida, do you love me as much as I do you? But Aurora, she is just as wonderful, she is bold and brave....Why cannot I be satisfied with one child? Aurora, you are not everything in my world without Aleida._

Ella detested herself when she realized she could not love one without the other. That without the one child, she could not properly love the other. _Aleida, you must not go away, not now, not ever. Selene, did you know this would happen?_

The days after the concert, Ella spent ferocious energy into teaching as many words in the hand language to Aurora. A few times the king would watch them together, vaguely, nervously suspicious of Ella's sudden quest. Ella looked as though she could not wait for something, looked as though she was struck by inspiration and determination. And she was - Ella was rejuvenated, feeling as though a card in the future had been flipped over. She marched on with the hope she saw in the dawn of Aleida's birth, full of tender, sweeping love for everything she knew. She knew not why the sudden, slight change, but surely it could stay.

"Her name is Aleida, and she has never spoken her own name before. You are a blessed princess, Aurora." Ella wrapped her arms around Aurora, never wanting to let go. Aurora frowned and cried out, "Someday I shall make her sing an' talk like me. That's so strange, I don't understand...." She breathed in her _"mother's" _vanilla, flowery scent. Only Mother smelled like that, and Mother always would. Aurora felt gleeful again and told her mother to teach another word.

* * *

"_She will not live long under my curse_...Pretty child, perhaps it is time." Selene erased the visions from her eyes and settled down into the ground after looking into the present with her head. Another fairy had helped her form that gift, and Selene found that after time, she could do it more easily. She rarely looked back into the past, and never once into the future. But she was driven to look into the present. She did it almost whenever she felt the urge to, as if the hobby were as ordinary as whistling or reading. It helped her throughout her days in the almost isolated little forest. Someone then knocked on her door. She straightened herself as she decided that it might indeed be time to fulfill the curse she had prepared perfectly eight years ago.


End file.
